Hannah Brown Finally Reveals Why She Kept Luke P. on The Bachelorette for So Long
Hannah Brown has finally revealed why she kept controversial contestant Luke Parker on the show all the way until the Fantasy Suite episode, despite him causing constant drama in the house.
Speaking with Chris Harrison during the “Men Tell All” episode, Brown, 24, said that she knows “it’s hard for a lot of people to understand” the connection that she had with Parker, 25.
“It was hard for me to understand at times,” she told the Bachelor Nation host, explaining that from night one, she felt like she could count on the fact that Parker was truly there for her.
“I will never try to say that the feelings that I had for him weren’t real, because they were,” she said, adding that her feelings toward Parker “was the closest thing” to love at first sight that she has ever experienced.
“I think a lot of that came from being really insecure about being the Bachelorette in the first place,” she said, addressing Harrison. “I remember when I got the call from you, I was so excited but also I had this doubt of, ‘Oh my gosh, am I going to be able to be this? Are the guys going to be disappointed?’ I didn’t know if I was going to live up to this standard that I thought I had to live up to and the first night there, there is this huge fear of what your intentions are. Are they for fame? Are they for career? Are they for building a platform? Is it for you to just continue to be a personality?”
“That night, he [Parker] made it clear and made me believe that he was there for me,” Brown said. “There was safety in that, and he gave me hope from the beginning, and I held onto it a lot longer than I should have.”
“But ultimately, I’m really glad that relationship is behind me,” she continued. “I learned a lot from the experiences I went through and the heartbreak I ultimately went through from discovering that I deserved so much more than I could put up with.”
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Brown sent Parker home last week, after he said he wouldn’t want to continue their relationship if she had sex with any of the other remaining contestants.
That was the last straw for Brown, and she told him that she was finally over him.
“There have been so many times that I have wanted to say I am done with you, but my heart has just not allowed me to let you go,” she said. “And I prayed so much for clarity and I feel like I have finally gotten clarity on you. And I do not want you to be my husband.”
During the “Men Tell All,” Parker apologized for his actions throughout the season.
“I really don’t have much to say, just the fact that I’m sorry that I made the whole process for you so difficult,” Parker said. “I just want you to know that I’m sorry for that. I will say thank you. You actually did teach me a lot as well about myself, Scotland taught me how to self-reflect, and you taught me how important it is to self-reflect. I will say thank you for that. I’m sorry for making it about me and being prideful at times and making the whole process difficult for you.”
RELATED: Bachelorette Host Chris Harrison Says He Tried to Let Luke P. ‘Redeem Himself’ at Men Tell All
“I appreciate those words, but I feel like you still don’t understand what self-reflection means,” Brown responded, before saying that she thinks he still has plenty of room to grow.
“You said that you learned from this, and I do hope that you did,” she said. “But I think that there’s a lot of fruit that needs to be grown from you.”
Brown also stood up for her own beliefs, telling Parker, “You’re making everything about sex and it’s not.”
“I’m so over being slut-shamed and [feeling] like that makes me not a woman of faith,” she continued. “I live my life and make mistakes and sin every single day … but that’s what grace is for.”
“And those fantasy suites, that’s not what they were about,” she added. “They were about having a relationship where I grew really close to the men and knowing their heart. It’s not just about the physical, and that’s where you’re getting it really, really wrong.”
After Parker left, Brown addressed the other contestants in the room.
“Know that I’m really thankful that you stuck up for me when you did, you supported me when you did and you encouraged me when you did,” she said. “I know it had to be really hard, but I am just really thankful for the guys that were here that were honest with me and real with me. So I just want to say thank you.”
Brown also apologized to Bachelor Nation fans for keeping Parker around for so long, adding, “The Luke P. show is canceled.”
